Finding Peace in the Midst of Anxiety: What Jesus Teaches Us About Overwhelming Emotions
Anxiety is a universal human experience, especially during challenging seasons like the holidays when demands on our time and emotions increase. Rather than dismissing these feelings, we can learn from how Jesus responded to someone experiencing deep anxiety in Luke chapter 10.
Why Do We Feel Anxious?
Think of your emotional capacity like a water tank. When we're healthy and feeling good, our emotional capacity is high. But over time, this tank begins to drain as we spend energy managing underlying anxieties that bubble just below the surface.
During stressful seasons, these emotions become more pronounced. The demands on our lives increase, and suddenly that low-level anxiety we've been managing becomes overwhelming. This is completely normal - everyone experiences anxiety at different levels and in different situations.
Martha's Story: When Anxiety Takes Over
The Perfect Storm of Expectations
In Luke 10:38-42, we meet Martha, a woman who loved Jesus and wanted to serve him well. When Jesus and his disciples came to visit, Martha welcomed them into her home and began preparing an elaborate meal. This wasn't just any dinner party - she was hosting the Messiah.
Martha started with a full heart, ready to serve. But as the preparations continued and she received no help from her sister Mary, who chose instead to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to his teaching, Martha became overwhelmed by the pressure.
When the Dam Breaks
Martha, who was typically dutiful and committed to keeping social norms, finally reached her breaking point. She interrupted Jesus' teaching and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me!"
This outburst came from legitimate concerns. Martha wasn't being selfish or lazy - she was serving Jesus in a room full of people, and hospitality was serious business in their culture. Her anxiety was rooted in real responsibilities and genuine pressures.
How Jesus Responds to Our Anxiety
A Gentle Answer
Jesus didn't dismiss Martha's concerns or rebuke her harshly. Instead, he responded with incredible tenderness: "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details. There's only one thing worth being concerned about."
Notice the gentleness in his response. When someone is overwhelmed by anxiety, harsh correction isn't what they need. They need compassion and redirection.
From Many Things to One Thing
Jesus took Martha from focusing on many things to focusing on the one thing that mattered most - his presence. This is what Jesus asks of us every day: to change our thinking from being scattered across many concerns to being centered on him.
When we look around at all the circumstances in our lives - uncertainties, political division, work issues, difficult relationships - we can become overwhelmed. But if we bring Jesus to the forefront and place him at the center of our lives, everything changes.
Understanding Our Deeper Questions
What Drives Our Anxiety?
Often, our anxiety stems from deeper questions we're trying to get answered: Am I loved? Am I wanted? Do I have purpose? Am I secure? These "primal questions" are typically formed during childhood and drive much of our emotional responses as adults.
When we perceive the answer to our core question as "no," we go into what could be called "the scramble" - frantically trying to get people and circumstances to give us the "yes" we desperately need.
Jesus Gives Us the "Yes"
The beautiful truth is that Jesus wants to answer our deepest questions with a resounding "yes." He doesn't want us to scramble for approval or security. All he wants is to be with us - it's simply about relationship with him.
Practical Steps to Escape the Anxiety Trap
1. Stop Striving
There's nothing we can do to earn God's love. We need to stop trying to prove our worth and simply receive his love. We are not human doings; we are human beings.
2. Pause, Pray, and Reflect
When anxiety begins to rise, create space for the Holy Spirit to work. If we pause and pray instead of immediately reacting, God can bring healing and wholeness in ways we never imagined possible.
3. Speak Truth Over Ourselves
We must remind ourselves of who God says we are. According to Ephesians 2, we are citizens of heaven, members of God's family, and part of his holy temple. Our identity is secure in Christ, regardless of our circumstances.
The Power of Jesus' Presence
Jesus offers us his presence in the midst of our emotions and circumstances because he is what we truly need in life. We don't have to stop feeling emotions, but we can bring those emotions to him.
Just as being with a loved one can make difficult circumstances more bearable, Jesus' presence transforms how we experience life's challenges. He is the fixed point we need to navigate not just our emotions, but all of life in a healthy way.
Life Application
This week, practice shifting from "doing for Jesus" to "being with Jesus." When you feel anxiety rising, instead of immediately trying to fix everything or prove your worth, pause and remember that you are deeply loved by God just as you are.
Ask yourself these questions:
What "primal question" am I trying to get answered through my actions and relationships?
How can I create space this week to simply be in God's presence rather than constantly doing?
What truth about my identity in Christ do I need to speak over myself when anxiety strikes?
Am I trying to carry something I was never designed to carry alone?
Remember, anxiety often points us back to our need for Jesus. Instead of pushing these feelings down, let them become an invitation to turn your attention back to the one who calls you "my dear" and offers you his perfect peace.
